Lolo
Well-Known Member
Not as amazing as some (meardsall_millie, Im looking at you!), and to a lot of people they'll think we're a bit bonkers celebrating it. But Reggie is amazing, and today laid a lot of good foundations.
In the dressage, he warmed up sweetly and did a nice and obedient test. Hes just not established enough for PC intermediate really, so although it was good it wasnt there really. He got 41.2, and the judge echoed exactly what Al said when she came out of the arena- he needs more practise and experience but his paces are now very correct and true, and it was a sweet test.
Onto the SJ, and it had jump4joy fences with the XC courses running round it Reg is not known for his SJ prowess, and his inexperience showed. The course was tight and twisty, and he hadnt had a good warm up (he stopped several times due to having no confidence in the greasy ground- it was lovely elsewhere, but not up there). We watched a few rounds, and people were clocking up some big scores! He was very argumentative all the way round, so Al gave him nothing to argue against and just gently wagonned him round. Finding that he was being allowed to jump off any stride he fancied he threw some interesting shapes, but he tried very hard to leave them all up until the final two, where he lost balance round the tight turn and had no room to sort himself out. Im sure a lot of people would say she should have done more, but he was arguing and so she just kept reassuring him with her voice and gently keeping her leg on and let him make his own mistakes. 8 faults was ok for the class, and amazing for him! After the SJ he was in contention if he went clear XC.
Finally XC! He hasnt been for 3 months and this course was, on the whole, whack up to height with lots and lots of questions. A half coffin in a dark dell, a big corner shortly after a big steeplechase fence (a theme emerges?), a solid style round a tight corner to a huge trakhener, an elephant trap with a big drop to 3 steps up then 2 strides to a pimple fence, another big long then 2 strides to a step into water... There were a lot of questions and it was only Reg's second run at that height. There were a lot of learner fences though so it was a nice course overall
(the best XC course photos- I have the full Int course though if anyone wants it?)
Plan was to have a go at each big question, but if he said no to go round and do the learner. Reg is not a horse who takes saying no lightly if hes ridden unless he really doesnt get the question and bullying him over in a comp is not going to do anything other than scare him. Better to let him have fun and make/ find similar questions to school over was Als decision and we would have agreed had we not been too scared to talk!
He warmed up confidently and set off with his ears so pricked they were pretty much 3 fences in front at all times! He did the first 3 nicely, and then disappeared into the dell to the first big question.
Al says he came back really nicely and then popped the rails and although he goggled at the ditch he jumped without breaking stride. He pinged the skinny log and came back into view over a big steeplechase fence. After he landed, Al brought him right back very very early for the corner, as everyone shed watched whod had a run out hadnt set up enough and he is very iffy over corners. He started being a bit arsey at first, but settled into a bouncy canter and popped the corner very well. In the video you can hear a woop- thats me being stupidly excited!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xymYsV5NAlo&feature=youtube_gdata
(Fences 1, 2, 6, 7, 15, 16, 17!)
Carried on over some let up fences (big but simple) to the trakehner- Al walked it as 4 strides off the corner, but his XC canter is very big, so it turned out to be a short 3. He popped beautifully over it, despite being rather close- it looks diddy in the photo but it is maximum dimensions! Kept going really well over the next 2 to the elephant trap. It was a fairly innocuous fence but caused lots of problems- it was going into darkness with a big drop and it looked like you were jumping into trees. Al is very cross with herself over this, but she didnt ride it with enough conviction as she was thinking of the next jump (three steps up to a pimple fence) so he stopped to make sure it was safe. It was, so he jumped well the second time and flew up the three steps. Because of the stop, Al decided to not do the pimple but take him round to the learner fence- she felt hed have done the pimple, and if theyd been clear shed have pushed him for it but the round was about him being confident, and that was a big ask for him. She got lots of praise from the commentary for her decision which made us all very
Pinged the narrow gate, and trotted into the palisade with the steep hill afterwards and just hopped down before spotting the log and he went for it! Al started to tell him to steady, but he was being a bit arrogant and ignored her Saw the reason why shed said steady so chipped in a little one and then hopped down the step afterwards neatly. Flew the final brush for the best round hed ever done.
On paper, this was a bad day. 41.2 dressage, 8 SJ and 35 XC doesnt sound pretty. But he tried his absolute hardest all day and she was complimented on the way she rode by several people who she respects a lot. The foundations for the future have started to be laid very securely- if she can keep him like that XC, he is going to be awesome. He says yes but is sensible, takes fliers but will chip in and on the whole listens to her and assesses his situation very quickly.
Plus, we love the donkey. All the money in the world could not make us part with him
In the dressage, he warmed up sweetly and did a nice and obedient test. Hes just not established enough for PC intermediate really, so although it was good it wasnt there really. He got 41.2, and the judge echoed exactly what Al said when she came out of the arena- he needs more practise and experience but his paces are now very correct and true, and it was a sweet test.
Onto the SJ, and it had jump4joy fences with the XC courses running round it Reg is not known for his SJ prowess, and his inexperience showed. The course was tight and twisty, and he hadnt had a good warm up (he stopped several times due to having no confidence in the greasy ground- it was lovely elsewhere, but not up there). We watched a few rounds, and people were clocking up some big scores! He was very argumentative all the way round, so Al gave him nothing to argue against and just gently wagonned him round. Finding that he was being allowed to jump off any stride he fancied he threw some interesting shapes, but he tried very hard to leave them all up until the final two, where he lost balance round the tight turn and had no room to sort himself out. Im sure a lot of people would say she should have done more, but he was arguing and so she just kept reassuring him with her voice and gently keeping her leg on and let him make his own mistakes. 8 faults was ok for the class, and amazing for him! After the SJ he was in contention if he went clear XC.
Finally XC! He hasnt been for 3 months and this course was, on the whole, whack up to height with lots and lots of questions. A half coffin in a dark dell, a big corner shortly after a big steeplechase fence (a theme emerges?), a solid style round a tight corner to a huge trakhener, an elephant trap with a big drop to 3 steps up then 2 strides to a pimple fence, another big long then 2 strides to a step into water... There were a lot of questions and it was only Reg's second run at that height. There were a lot of learner fences though so it was a nice course overall
(the best XC course photos- I have the full Int course though if anyone wants it?)
Plan was to have a go at each big question, but if he said no to go round and do the learner. Reg is not a horse who takes saying no lightly if hes ridden unless he really doesnt get the question and bullying him over in a comp is not going to do anything other than scare him. Better to let him have fun and make/ find similar questions to school over was Als decision and we would have agreed had we not been too scared to talk!
He warmed up confidently and set off with his ears so pricked they were pretty much 3 fences in front at all times! He did the first 3 nicely, and then disappeared into the dell to the first big question.
Al says he came back really nicely and then popped the rails and although he goggled at the ditch he jumped without breaking stride. He pinged the skinny log and came back into view over a big steeplechase fence. After he landed, Al brought him right back very very early for the corner, as everyone shed watched whod had a run out hadnt set up enough and he is very iffy over corners. He started being a bit arsey at first, but settled into a bouncy canter and popped the corner very well. In the video you can hear a woop- thats me being stupidly excited!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xymYsV5NAlo&feature=youtube_gdata
(Fences 1, 2, 6, 7, 15, 16, 17!)
Carried on over some let up fences (big but simple) to the trakehner- Al walked it as 4 strides off the corner, but his XC canter is very big, so it turned out to be a short 3. He popped beautifully over it, despite being rather close- it looks diddy in the photo but it is maximum dimensions! Kept going really well over the next 2 to the elephant trap. It was a fairly innocuous fence but caused lots of problems- it was going into darkness with a big drop and it looked like you were jumping into trees. Al is very cross with herself over this, but she didnt ride it with enough conviction as she was thinking of the next jump (three steps up to a pimple fence) so he stopped to make sure it was safe. It was, so he jumped well the second time and flew up the three steps. Because of the stop, Al decided to not do the pimple but take him round to the learner fence- she felt hed have done the pimple, and if theyd been clear shed have pushed him for it but the round was about him being confident, and that was a big ask for him. She got lots of praise from the commentary for her decision which made us all very
Pinged the narrow gate, and trotted into the palisade with the steep hill afterwards and just hopped down before spotting the log and he went for it! Al started to tell him to steady, but he was being a bit arrogant and ignored her Saw the reason why shed said steady so chipped in a little one and then hopped down the step afterwards neatly. Flew the final brush for the best round hed ever done.
On paper, this was a bad day. 41.2 dressage, 8 SJ and 35 XC doesnt sound pretty. But he tried his absolute hardest all day and she was complimented on the way she rode by several people who she respects a lot. The foundations for the future have started to be laid very securely- if she can keep him like that XC, he is going to be awesome. He says yes but is sensible, takes fliers but will chip in and on the whole listens to her and assesses his situation very quickly.
Plus, we love the donkey. All the money in the world could not make us part with him
)
